Culvert and arch construction



A. T. NEWELL. CULVERT AND ARCH CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED Dems, I92I.

1,433,219, Y. I' Patented 001;. 24, 1922,

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3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

1 WTA/M jfl A. T. NEWELL.

CULVERT AND ARCH CONSTRUCTION.

APPLlcATloN man Dsc. le. 1921.

Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. T. NEWELL.

CULVERT AND ARCH CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED Dsc. le, 192x.

1,433,219. v Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

@MJ/fw@ The slabs are also Acessed at the middle, as shown at Patented @et 24, 39292.

stares 'or ,rammelt CULVERT AND ARCH CONSTRUCTION.

Application led December 16, 1921.

To @YZ wlw/m, it 'may concern.'

Be it known that l., ALFRED T. Nnwnnp, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in t-he county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain ew and useful Improvements in lJulvert and Arch Constructions, ofwhich the following is a specification. The object of the present invention is to provide improved means for producing a concrete structure such asa culvert, arch, pier or the like, and embodying the .conception of such a structure produced by of preformed concrete slabs, which may be cast in a Icentral plant, shipped to the place of use, and quickly set up. It will be found particularly useful in road, arch and bridge work, the units being such that culverts or arches or piers of various sizes and shapes may be constructed in segmental units preformed as stated. These units will be reinforced by metal rods or Wires embedded therein, and the reinforcements are utilized for the purpose of bonding the slabs in the position where they are to remain. Various forms of the invention are possible, and a few are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is an end view of a culvert made of slabs embodying` the invention. Fig. 2 is a top view thereof. Fig. 3 is an end view of a modifiedv form. Fig. is a top view of Fig. 3. is an end view of another form. Fig. 6 is an end view of an arch. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a pier.y Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 o-f Fig, 7. 9 is a perspective of one of the slabs.

The forms shown in Figs. l to 5 may all be produced from the same units. Each unit consists of a slab 6, the ends and side edges of Which are rabbeted as indicated at 7, the rabbets being of they same depth and width, and being one-half as Wide as the total thickness of the slabs. This permits the slabs to be fitted together in various arrangements. preferably twice as long as they are wide.

t each corner the slabs are rabbeted or recessed as indicated at 9, and they are also re- 10, on each sidey the recesses 10 being twice as wide as the recesses 9. Any suitable number of reine forcing rods may be embedded in the slabs, and particularly one of the reinforcing rods extends around the outer edge of each slab, in such position that it will be exposed in Serial. No. 522,805.

the recesses 9 and 10, as shown at 11, thereby forming loops orA portions to can be attached, for slabs together. A

n producing a simple form of culvert, as shown in Fig, l, four of these slabs are fitted together at the corners. the rabbeted portions of each interfitting with each other, and when this is done the .corner and intermediate recesses lO will register with each other, at the middle and the corners of the respective slabs. Then the slabs are tied together by mean-s of wire ties l2 which are looped around the loops or portions ll of the reinforcing rods, so that all. four slabs are tied together at the middle and also at t e corners. Mortar may be used in the joints if desired. but as they are nicely .fitted be unnecessary in ordinary culvert which ties the purpose of fixing the it w1 l work. The length of the culvert may be eX- tended by adding sections to each other endwise, these sections being abutted at the ends of the slabs and also tied together by ties between the loops ll at the end corners as saown in Fig. 2. ln the form shown in Figs. l and 2 the resulting' culvert will be of' a size corresponding to the width of the slabs. or producing ay wider culvert the slabs may be set up as shown in Figs.- 3 and e. the side slabs extend lengthwise horizontally, but the top and bottom slabs extend cr'osswise, two top and bottom slabs being joined to a single slab at each side of the culvert. This requires the same number of side slabs as shown in Figs. l and 2, but double the number of top and bottom slabs. And in this form, also the recesses 9 and l() register with each other where the slabs meet, and the loops ll are connected by ties 2 twisted around the same. In F ig. 5 a tall narrow culvert is illustra-ted, the side slabs standing on their ends and being con nected to top and bottom slabs of single width.

The invention is capable of extension to arches, as shown in Fig. G. lin this construction the top slabs 26 are made segmental in form and may be assembled slabs above described, the segmental slabs being also provided with corner and middle recesses and exposed loops or reinforcements ll at the corners and the middle, whereby the arch slabs may be tied together and to the side Walls of the arch in the same manner as above described.

For piers and such vertical work, the arch with the fiat slabs can be set together with their convex 't'aces outwardly, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8,

` and When so set united by ties as described..

termedl can be to make a solid The hollow structure then filled with rock or con/:rete pier. By varying mental sections piers ot various shapes and dimensions can be formed'. Thus a round pier can be made by using v'four ot the segmental sections" shown in Fig. 8, each section forming a quarter o'i': the circumference.

By the use ot pre-formed slabs in the manner described the cost and labor oi building forms for the production of concrete culverts'and bridges is avoiced, and the culvert is completed When the slabs are settogetlier and does not have to Wait to rure. Tral'lic can go over it at once, thus avoiding delays and detours incident to concrete bridge construction, which frequently takes several Weeks time before all parts of?` a bridge arch can be cast in place. The square slabs for ordinary culverts can be produced in large quantities at a central the curvature of the seg-V plant and shipped to the place Where they are to be used, and since they are made uniform, will it each other to produce various forms and sizes.

I claim:

l. A pre-formed concrete and arch construction or the like` the length of saidV slab being twice its Width, the edges of said slab being rabbeted to interlock with adjacent slabs, and the corners oi said slab having recesses' and reinforcing rods exposed insa-'idl recesses to receive Vties to 'fasten adjacent slabs together.

2. A pre-formed concrete slab suitable tor culvert and arch construction or the like, said slab having a ra het extending entirely around its edge, the depth of the rabbet beslab for culvert ing` half4 the thickness of the slab, and the edges of the slab being provided with recesses and ,withgreintorcing rods exposed at said recesses.` l In 'testimony whereof l aiiix my signature.

ALFRED T. NEWELL.v 

